This invention relates to boat leveling systems, and more specifically to position indicating apparatus for use in such systems.
The design of power boats frequently produces a boat which runs bow high, a condition which can be further aggravated by a heavy fuel load or a heavy passenger load or both. While a power boat that runs bow high provides positive response to rudder action and gives good handling in a following sea, a power boat which runs approximately level fore-to-aft generally is preferable because of certain advantages incurred from running level such as higher speed at a given throttle setting, improved fuel consumption, better visibility, reduced pounding and so on. As a result of the many advantages of running a boat level, the use of boat leveling systems to maintain a boat level while underway is increasing.
While boat leveling systems provide many advantages, none of the boat leveling systems of which I am aware are provided with any apparatus for determining the position of the trim tabs of the boat leveling system with the boat either at rest or underway. This is a disadvantage in that each time the operator of a power boat "levels" or "trims" it, he has to adjust the boat leveling system while the boat is underway at a given throttle setting until he is satisfied with how the boat is running.
My invention overcomes the problem described above by providing position indicating apparatus for a boat leveling system. Thus, it is possible for a boat operator to set the trim tabs of the boat leveling system at predetermined positions (indicated in degrees of downward angle) before getting underway with the boat. Further, the boat operator can go to a particular setting of the trim tabs at any time since the position indicating apparatus provides the boat operator with a positive and direct indication of trim tab positions. This is advantageous if, for example, the boat operator has determined the "level" or "trim" of the boat for minimum fuel consumption at a specific throttle setting.